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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
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Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref. : EIC 111/2/18
EIC 111/3
EIC 111/3/13
CR EIC 111/1/13/3

16 January 2020
(Last updated on 24 February 2020)

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 62/2020

US : Section 301 Tariffs on Mainland Products Worth US$300 billion - Reduction of Tariffs from 15% to 7.5% for List 4A Effective on 14 February 2020

Further to Commercial Information Circular (CIC) No. 902/2019 dated 16 December 2019 regarding the US' suspension of 15% tariffs for List 4B and its planned tariff reduction for List 4A, the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced on 15 January 2020 that the additional tariffs on Mainland products under List 4A will be reduced from 15% to 7.5%, effective on 14 February 2020.

DETAILS

2.The US has earlier imposed additional 25% tariffs on Mainland products worth approximately US$250 billion (List 1: US$34 billion; List 2: US$16 billion; List 3: US$200 billion) under the US' Section 301 investigation against Mainland China. It further announced additional tariffs of 15% for Mainland products worth about US$300 billion, namely List 4A (already implemented on 1 September 2019) and List 4B (originally scheduled to take effect on 15 December 2019). Subsequently, the US announced on 13 December 2019 that, as a Phase One trade agreement had been reached with China, the US would suspend indefinitely the imposition of 15% additional tariffs on List 4B and planned to reduce the tariffs for List 4A. For details, please refer to CIC Nos. 582/2018, 759/2018, 426/2019, 614/2019, 642/2019 and 902/2019 dated 19 June 2018, 8 August 2018, 3 June 2019, 14 August 2019, 26 August 2019 and 16 December 2019 respectively.

3.On 15 January 2020, the US and China signed the Phase One trade agreement. On the same day, the USTR issued a notice to announce that the additional tariffs for Mainland products under List 4A will be reduced from 15% to 7.5%, effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 am Eastern Standard Time on 14 February 2020.

4.For details, please refer to the relevant notices:

  • Federal Register notice regarding the reduction of tariffs from 15% to 7.5% for List 4A (22 January 2020):
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-01-22/pdf/2020-00904.pdf
  • USTR press release regarding the Phase One trade agreement with China:
    https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2020/january/economic-and-trade-agreement-between-government-united-states-and-government-peoples-republic-china
  • US Customs and Border Protection's guidance note regarding the reduction of tariffs from 15% to 7.5% for List 4A (4 February 2020):
    https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-279d565?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2

ENQUIRIES

5.For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact Miss K Y HO at telephone number 2398 5405.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Ivy TAM)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

Note: While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.